New Year’s is not only a time where we gather together and celebrate the ball drop, we also take time to reflect on the events, experiences, and journeys we have had over the previous year; and look forward to the new opportunities events, and journeys we get to experience in the upcoming year. This past year has been one of the most unprecedented and eventful years we have had in a long time, and while we take our time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future, let us share with you some new years traditions from around the world. 
Spain
In Spain, with 12 seconds remaining until the New Year, people eat 12 green grapes to bring good luck in the coming year. It’s thought to be bad luck if you can’t eat them all by the final midnight chime. But gobble them down in time and 12 months of good fortune will come your way.

FranceThe French usually ring in the New Year with a huge feast, commonly know as le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre. The meal is full of traditional, decadent eats, including foie gras, oysters, lobster and escargot.
ItalyItalians love lentils for their coin-like shape, symbolizing luck and prosperity. A New Year’s Eve dinner usually features this legume to bring on luck in the coming year. Pork is often added to lentil dishes in the form of cotechino, a spicy sausage, or zampone, a deboned pig trotter, to represent the plenitude of the land.
Australia
Australians celebrate the New Year with midnight fireworks in cities and towns throughout the country. Firework displays are launched off bridges, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, from jetties along the beaches, and on river banks, with the lights of the fireworks sparkling off the water. In a typical year, people pack picnic baskets and arrive hours early to get the best viewing spots.

However you choose to celebrate, we wish you all the best for the new year, and look forward to a new year full of opportunities to learn, grow, and explore with Team ELM.

Check out Team ELM on Pinterest for these great holiday recipes and so much more!

www.pinterest.com/teamelmnj

Grinch Pancakes

Pancakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups buttermilk divided
• 1/8 teaspoon green gel food coloring
• red heart sprinkles

Glaze:

• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk

Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• green gel food coloring

Directions:

Pancakes

1. Heat electric nonstick griddle to 250 degrees and adjust as needed.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine butter, eggs, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Use remaining buttermilk to adjust consistency as needed. Stir in green food coloring a little at a time until desired color is reached.
3. Pour pancake batter onto griddle using a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Cook 5-7 minutes, or until bubbles start to form and edges are set. Flip and finish cooking.

Glaze

1. Beat together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar, then add milk until a spoonable consistancy is reached.

Whipped Cream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add green food coloring a little at a time until desired color is reached. Transfer to piping bag fitted with open star tip. You can also use a plastic baggie if you don't have a piping bag.
2. Assemble pancakes by spooning glaze on top, then adding green whipped cream and red heart sprinkles.

Ginger Melted Snowman Cookies

Cookies:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter , softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 Tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons salt

Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon warm water

Decorations:

• 12 large marshmallows , cut in half
• Miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups , cut in half
• mini chocolate chips
• orange food coloring , for noses

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add in the egg, molasses and vanilla and mix until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to the sugar mixture, and stir until combined.
4. Using a medium scoop or spoon, place the dough onto the baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the center is no longer doughy. Place the marshmallow on the top of the cookies and place back in the oven for 2 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Press the marshmallows down with a spatula, to flatten slightly.
6. Once the cookies have cooled, mix together the powdered sugar and water in a medium size bowl. You want the icing to be pretty thick, yet still smooth. Add more water or powdered sugar if needed. Then spoon the icing on top of the marshmallow. Immediately put the Reese’s on top of the cookie and then chocolate chips for the eyes.
7. Mix the orange food coloring into the icing and then place in a zip top bag. Snip the very tip of the bag and draw on a nose.
8. Store in an air tight container. Stays fresh for 3 days.

Pizza Stockings


Ingredients:

• refrigerated pizza crust
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• Pinch kosher salt
• 2 c. pizza sauce
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella
• 1 c. mini pepperoni
• Finely chopped basil, for garnish
• Stocking cookie cutter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie cutter, stamp out stockings out of the pizza dough.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic powder, italian seasoning and salt. Brush mixture onto each pizza dough stocking, then spread a spoonful of sauce onto each piece. Decorate with cheese and mini pepperoni.
3. Bake until the cheese has melted and the dough is golden. Garnish with basil and serve warm.

Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats


Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 10 ounces mini marshmallows
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal
• 2 ounces white chocolate baking chocolate, candy coating, or melts, DIVIDED
• 16 candy eyes
• 16 chocolate covered pretzels
• 7 brown M&Ms
• 1 red M&M
• Christmas sprinkles

Directions:

1. Generously grease an 8-inch cake pan; set aside.
2. In a large pot set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the marshmallows, stir to coat with the butter, and allow to completely melt, stirring frequently. Remove the pot from the heat and gently mix in the cereal until fully combined.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Allow to cool completely. Run a thin knife or spatula around the edge of the pan, lay a platter or cutting board on top, and invert. Carefully lift off the pan.
4. Melt half of the white chocolate according to package directions. Spread a small amount of melted white chocolate on the back of the candy eyes and stick them to the top of one of the triangular Rice Krispie Treats. Do the same with the M&M nose and the pretzel antlers. Repeat for each reindeer.
5. Melt the rest of the white chocolate. Finish each reindeer by spreading some melted white chocolate between the antlers, covering with sprinkles, and gently pressing them to adhere. Allow the white chocolate to harden before serving the treats or storing them in an airtight container.

White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels


Ingredients:

• 15-20 Pretzel rods
• 3-4 cubes candy coating chocolate
• crushed candy canes

Directions:

1. Begin by laying out your parchment paper.
2. Place crushed candy canes in a bowl and set aside.
3. Begin by breaking up your candy coating into cubes and placing in a pot on LOW heat. Melt while stirring with a rubber spatula constantly. Melt until there are no more chunks.
4. Pour candy coating into a skinny and tall cup/jar.
5. Dip pretzel rods into the candy coating and place on parchment paper. Sprinkle with candy cane pieces and/or sprinkles and let set. ENJOY!

Sign up now for our trial week, free clubs and classes offered over winter break! 12/22- 1/3! Call us at 732-301-7015, or email us at info@teamelmnj.com for more information and to reserve a spot! 



ART CLUB                                          SAT CLASSES
SCIENCE CLUB                               WRITING CLASSES
LEGO CLUB                                       READING CLASSES
TECH CLUB                                       MATH CLASSES
COOKING CLUB
BOOK CLUB
MIND GAMES CLUB
KINDNESS CLUB
WRITING CLUB
STEM CLUB

We are so excited to announce that Team ELM is now on Etsy! All of our wonderful homemade products are available at www.etsy.com/shop/TeamELM!

Kids Craft Boxes: Includes a bead activity, sand art activity, create your own puzzle, play-doh, and a slime egg!

Color Me Crazy Boxes: Includes, paint by number and water color paper and watercolor paint set, black scratch paper rainbow art, and a velvet coloring poster project!

Brain Buster Boxes: Includes: 2 handmade puzzle books! First book includes sudoku, maze games, and coloring by numbers! Second book includes, mad libs, word searches, and cross word puzzles!

Ornament Boxes: What a great way to add a little bit of magic and create memories this holiday season. Includes a clear bauble ornament, mini trees, styrofoam beads/fake snow, sparkly pipe cleaner and a holiday polaroid.

Homemade Apple Butter: Treat your friends and family to a delicious homemade treat this holiday season! Our apple butter is just two ingredients, apples and cinnamon, slowed cooked for hours to yummy perfection! Available in small, medium or large sizes!

Homemade S'mores Jars: Our tasty s'mores jars are filled with marshmallows, chocolate chips and buttery graham crackers, just take the lid off and bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins and you have an ooey gooey treat! All proceeds are being donated to Alzheimer's New Jersey! Available in small, medium, or large sizes!

What a great way to add a little bit of magic and create memories this holiday season. Create your own ornament kits are a great way to get kids involve with decorating and a way to bring the family together. Plus who doesn't love a family keepsake that you'll bring out for the years to come? Each kit comes with clear bauble ornament, mini trees, styrofoam beads/fake snow, sparkly pipe cleaner and a holiday polaroid. $8 dollars for one kit or $10 for 2 kits! Call us at 732-301-7015, email us at info@teamelmnj.com to place an order or order right from our Team ELM shop!